Fountain pen



R. w. LoTZ. FOUNTAIN PEN.

' .Y APPLICATION FILED FEB. H, 19205 1,407,552, Patented Feb. 21, 1922.

2 SHEETS-'SHEET 1*.

fx1( f 5 R. W. LOTZ.

FOUNTAIN PEN.

APPucATxoN FILED FEB. 11. 1920.

Patented Feb. 21, 1922.

2 snel-:Tswsgm 2.

UNETED STATES 'r carica.

RUDOLPH wM. Lora, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, Assreivoa ro ADELINE M. KRAKER, or MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

FOUNTAIN PEN'.

Leonesa.

y Application led February 11, 1920. Serial No. 357,870.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH WM. Lorz, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fountain Pens; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the saine.

This invention relates to self-filling fountain pens and more particularly to certain improvements in fountain pens of the particular type described 'and claimed in Letters Patent Nos. 1,263,261 and 1,263,260, granted to ineApril 16, 1918. e

The main object of the present invention is to provide a fountain'pen of the character described wherein the mechanism for effecting collapse of the ink sack is so associated with the pen barrel as to prevent longitudinal or lateral tilting movement of the pressure bar upon operating the lever to effect collapse of the sack.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for positively effecting primary opening movement of the lever upon releasing the latch thereof.

The invention consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter Vfully described and particularly claimed.

Suitable embodiments ofthe invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure -1- is a view in elevation partly in section of a fountain pen constructed in accordance `with the invention.

Figure -2- is a fragmentary central longitudinal section on an enlarged scale on the line 2 2 of Figure -1-.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 21, 1922.

Figure 8- is a fragmentary detail central longitudinal section on the line 8-8 of Figure -7`.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary detail transverse section on an enlarged scale on the line 9-9 of Figure 8-`.

Figure -10 is a detail perspective view of the lever employed including the latch member thereof.

Figure *11- is a detail perspective'view of the latch member of said lever.

In Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive of said drawing, 1f indicates the barrel of a fountain pen whichis provided between its ends with a longitu-4 dinal slot 2*? in which 'a lever 2 is substantially completely housed,when said lever is 1n its closed position. The lever-is pivotally mounted in said slot by means of a pivot pin 3 spanning the-latter and passing through nerforations 4 between the ends of the lever. The lever is of a channeled formation having paralleled side flanges 5 anda middle portion or web 6. The web is completely, and the flanges 5 are partly, cut away at one end, as indicated at 7, and the narrowed end portions of said flanges are bent to meet each other to provide a loop 8. The. extreme ends of the flangesare disposed parallel `and in contact with each other to form a projection 9 having a lip 10. The side flanges 5 are provided at their other ends with serrated edges providing inclined surfaces 11 and 12 extending parallel `with an offset with each other and separated from each other `by shoulders 13. Reciprocably mounted in said slot is a latch member 14 comprising a prac- '.tically rectangular tube having its top and bottom walls extended rearwardly to provide a pair of guide flanges 15 and the side walls of the latch member 14 are provided with longitudinal slots 16 through which a guide pin 17 spanning the slot adjacent one end thereof passes. The outer face of the barrel is provided with a longitudinal groove 18 at one end 18a of said slot in which the upper guide flange 15 of the latch member` is movable. Between the ends of said latch member there is provided an inwardly projecting portion 19 between which and the last-named e'nd wall 181 of the slot in the barrel a. compression spring 2O is interposed. The other ends ofthe side walls of said latch member which ends are opposite flanges 15 project slightly beyond the upper wall thereof and are provided with serrated edges 21 Y corresponding in form substantially with the Y engaging end of the lever 2. The upper in# cline'd surfaces 11 and 12l of the side vianges of the lever are adapted to engage the lower inclined faces of the ends of the side wallsV forced to its closed position,whereupon the Vspring is adapted to return the latch member 4to the forward limit of its movement to vcause the shoulders 22 to engage the shoulders 13 ofthe lever to hold the same in closed position.

The other end of the slot terminates ina groove 23 on the inner face of the circum- Vthereof is a guide member comprising a circular plate 24'having twoaicuate flanges 25 extending from its rear face, an-d which are adapted to Vabut against the inner face of thev end vwall 26 at the closed end 'of .thel

barrel. ',.Theplate 24 has similar"arcuatel flanges 27 extending from its other or front fa'eelan'd these flanges 27 are flared vout-V wardlyand terminate in sharp edges so that Whensaid Vg'fufidevmember is forced into the closed end of the barrel said sharp edges of said flvangesg27' will engage in the inner face of the circumferential wall of thebarrel Vto prevent outward-movement of said Vguide Y member. lThe plate 24 is provided with a Yio ltransverse sloti28 which extends diametrically thereof'so that one end thereofis disposed in direct alignment with the slotin. Y

member 'is' provided inits upper wall bewhich the'lever 2 is housed.

As shown in Figure f1- the pressure bar 29 isprovided at its rea-rend with two op? posed edge recesses or notches 30 providing a relatively thin neck which is received in and is reciprocably movable in the slot 28 in saidplate 24. The said pressure bar 29 is engagediwith said plate 24 by `first turntween its ends. with a longitudinal slot 31 in which the lip 101oftheprojection 9 ofthe levery normally engages andV in which the bodyof the projection 9 is ladapted to en'- gage when the lever is turned to its open po sition indicated in dotted lines in Figure Y 2f-f. Y Assaid lever is turned to said open positionfthe innerfacegoftheloop 8, contiguous to the projections 9 bear upon the ressure bar 29 on opposed sides of the ongitudin'al'slot 31 therein thus forcing the bar 29 downwardly to collapse the ink sack 82. Secured to the upper face of the pressurefbar at one -end thereof is aspring 33 which isbowed from its secured end to a point between its ends, and there at said pointprovides a V-shaped portion 34 which -is disposed directlyunderneath the pivot pin Bof the lever. Theextreme otherend of said spring'- provides a free tongue 35 which whenthje lever. is disposed in ,closed portion 34 and theV secured end thereof.

VVihen the lever is disposed in closedposition, as 'shown in Fig. 21the1loop 8 tends to slightly distortV or increase the b 'ow of said spring thereby increasing the 'tension exerted by the end portion 35 thereof upon the lever to effect. initial opening movement of 1 thelatter.. It will'be noted inFigure -2-A that whenthe Vlever is infclos'ed positionyas shown in Afull lines in said fign're, thedoop 8 thereof i'sfoutfof contact withtheupper face ofthe Vpressure bar, andthat the latter is suspended `entirely from the "spring 33. As the spring is securedV to the Vp,re'slsiire-bai' between its ends,"th'e spring will Vsupport said pressure-bar and; hold it snugly' in contact with theinner face of the'cirinimferen-v tial wallof the barrel throughoutitsilengthA as cle'arlyshownin Figure f2-1, thus relievingV the ink sack of the "vvei'ghtof'v said lever."

rlhe opei'ati'onof the pen willi-probably be clearly understood from the foregoing' de'V scription.

tween the .ends thereof withatransverse` slot- 36 inwhich'a fingernail isadapte'dto It will be notedithat the `1latch Y its iop engage toeffect movement of saiddatch f member a gains'tthe action of ,the` spring '17'. to Veffect `disengagement'of the shoulders 13 and 22. Y Thereupon the end portion 35 ofy the sprii'ig 31 will-effect an initial opening movement of the lever so that the levers serrated rear end extends 'free/oftheV outer circumferential face of theY barrel. 'Said serrated end of said lever may thereupon be engaged with the eshy part of thethuinb and` moved to'its open lposition .shown in dottedlines in Fig. 2 thereby causingV the pressure bar to collapse the saclr* preparatory to effecting'iilling ther-enfin themannercustomary with all lever actuated self-filling fountain pens; Y g j i' vThe construction "shownV inAFigures T- toV *11e inclusive, is slightly 'different inL some detailsffrom that shown in "F igures iio iso Y farthest removed from the bottom :Wall 39.;y

Ai latch member reciprbcably fm in the .tutuiarfpaiqa of Said lever ,for .which between' thev ifange140 and ltlreinrrl. Aend:

V ofthe latch member 4l and withinlthetublula-'riportion of the lever borderediin part. by the wall 38 and into which tubular portion the inner-end of the latch member 4l projects.` The outer endof the latch member 41 is provided` with a V-shaped projection 44, the lower inclined face of which is adapted to engage a latch pin 45 which spans the rear end of the slot in the barrel housing said lever and when said lever is in closed position said pin will engage the upper inclined surface of the V-shaped Vprojection, thus serving to hold said lever in its closed position. The latter is provided with a projection or lip 46 which overhangs the upper inclined Vsurface of the V-shaped projection 44 and normally lies in .a linger nail groove 47 at the rear end of the slot in the barrel so that the lip 46 may be engaged by the thumb or finger nail to raise said lever to open position. The engagement of the finger nail with said lip 46 will automatically cause the operator to move the latch member 4l against the action of Athe spring 43, thereby releasing the V-shaped projection 44 from engagement with lthe latch pin 45. In closing the lever pressure of the linger upon the outer surface of said lever will cause the latch member 4l to be moved inwardly under the influence of the sliding contact of the lower inclined surface of the V-shaped projection 44 with the latch pin 45 in an obvious manner.

Another slight difference in construction resides in the details of the spring 48 which is identical with the spring 33 of Fig. 2

except that the rear end portion 35 of the latter is omitted. Its engagement with the loop 8a of the lever is the same as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures lto -6- inclusive, but inasmuch as the lever of this pen of Fig.-8 is adapted to be 'initially moved to open position by engagement of the finger nail with the latch member as above set forth, the feature of initial opening by action of the spring on the pressure bar as in` Fig. 2 is obviously Aun,necessary and it fis; therefore, omittedas is 'showniin"Fig. 8, whenizthe lever 37 is clnsedtheQfreefportion ofthe spring 48 is depressed fand'its elbow portion 49 is caused to project into the `slot inthe.pressure-bar.

llVhiglefIhave shownthe preferred embodi-A ments ofjthe'invention in the accompanydrawingstit `will be understood, of course ,j."tlia'tf. such' lembodiments may be `changed andvaried'in details of construction without departing froin the invention as defined thejappendedclaims.

I claim' as my invention: u

In a fountain pen of the kind specified, a pressure bar provided `bet\`vee.n its ends with alongitudinal slot. an actuating lever pivotallyjimounted in the pen barrel and providedfa't one end/with a projection engaging in the slot i-n the liar fon preventing lateralsinovement or tilting ofsaid bar, a 85 springls'ecuredat one endy to said pressure barian'd engaging said lever between the spring endsfor suspending said bar from said lever, and latching means associated with s aid lever and the pen barrel for holding said lever in closed position against the action of said spring.

2. In a fountain pen `of the kind specified, a pivoted lever provided at one end with a loop and a projection, a pressure bar provided between its ends with a longitudinal slot in which the projection of said lever is adapted to engage, a flat spring secured at one end to said pressure bar and projecting through said loop of said lever for suspending said bar from said lever, and means associated with the lever and the pen barrel for latching said lever in closed position against the action of said spring, the latter adapted to be bent as the lever is closed and the pressure bar forced into engagement with the inner wall of the barrel.

3. In a fountain pen of the kind specified, a pivoted lever provided at one end with a loop and a projection, apressure bar provided between its ends with a longitudinal slot in which the projection of said lever is adapted to engage, a flat spring secured at one end to said pressure bar and projecting through said loop of said lever for suspending said bar from said lever, the free end portion of the spring bent to project upwardly from the bar and bearing against the lever to resist closure thereof, and means associated with the lever and the pen barrel for latching said lever in closed position against the action of said spring. the latter adapted to be bent as the lever is closed and the pressure ,bar forced into engagement with the inner wall of the barrel, the free end portion of the spring automatically effecting initial opening movement of said lever when said latching means are released.

4. In a fountain pen of the kind specilied,

a pvoted lever slotjin which the projection of said leverE is adapted lto 'engagea 'flat spring secured at oneendl to said pressure bar and projecting through seid loop'of said leverfor suspending said Abar from sfiid'lever', the free end portion of said spring extending angularly npwirdly` from a point between the ends of said spring a'ndhwing` a Aterminal elbow portion, 'fthe said free end 'portion Yadaptedto be ldepressed as the lever is lClosed' to Cause the elbow portion of said spring jtovp'roje'et into the slot inthe bar, andjrneans associted with the lever and the pen barrel for latch- V ing said lever in closed position againstthe action of said spring the latter adapted to 'be bent as the lever is closed and thepres sure bar forced into engagement'lwith the inner wall of th'e barrel, the free 'endportion of the sprnig automtclly eifecting proyid at `one @newmi ii'iritial-Qpeiiiiig loop and a projection7 Va pressure bar jprosvlded between its ends with a ylongitudin "alY i1 www* Y with longiitudinal slot," ttnaotuating leyer proyided onefend with@ pitje-'cuen enpgglngrinthe slotli'n tl'ieber forpreve'rtng.

literal movement@ tilting of saidlrbar; si

oie-ted "with the pen ba'rrelf'nd the pressure bar foi-j preventing longitudinal ',niovement oftlielatter'as 'said lever ifsturnedfto de-l press 'said bar. v

apreSsUre 'bar .provided between itsjends'Y g* pivtallynlounted inthe pen" barrel `and Y 

